Initially released in 1982 as part of the Wave Notation series*, Still Way is, without a doubt, a seminal Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalism album, often mentioned alongside Midori Takada’s Through Looking Glass and Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Green as one of the genre’s most important pieces.
"Like the moment of stillness, after the wind passes through the garden, when the rain stops for a brief second…" Notably inspired by Erik Satie’s Furniture Music and Brian Eno’s ambient work, Satoshi Ashikawa aimed to compose music "intended to be listened to in a casual manner, as a musical landscape or a sound object…not something that would stimulate listeners but music that should drift like smoke and become part of the environment."
The result is simply phenomenal, subtle minimalism and emotional elegance exquisitely orchestrated by Satoshi Ishikawa and his team consisting of his wife Masami Ashikawa (on flute), Midori Takada (on vibraphone), Yuko Utsumi (on harp), Tomoko Sono (on piano), and Junko Arase (on vibraphone).
In conjunction with Still Way, WRWTFWW is releasing Laistigh den Ghleo, a companion album by Irish ambient/minimalist composer Gareth Quinn Redmond, inspired by Ashikawa’s approach.
*The Wave Notation series also includes Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Music For Nine Postcards album.
Prelude 1:46
Harp - Yuko Utsumi
Piano - Tomoko Sono
Vibraphone - Midori Takada
Landscape Of Wheels 11:52
Harp - Yuko Utsumi
Still Park - Ensemble 12:05
Harp - Yuko Utsumi
Piano - Midori Takada
Vibraphone - Junko Arase
Still Park - Piano Solo 4:48
Piano - Tomoko Sono
Still Sky 8:33
Flute - Masami Ashikawa
Image Under The Tree 13.03
Flute - Masami Ashikawa
Piano - Tomoko Sono
Vibraphone - Midori Takada
Format: 12-inch Vinyl LP
Label: We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records
Catalog: WRWTFWW030
Released: August 2019
Genre: Environmental / Ambient / Minimal
